The US Drug Enforcement Administration is set to inspect the Kaiser Permanente pharmacy at Roseville Medical Center. The agency filed for an administrative inspection, which is the first inspection the facility has had in 11 years.
According to the affidavit filed, the pharmacy is the biggest purchaser of products for hydrocodone within the division. This division goes from the Oregon state line down to Bakersfield. Just in 2019 so far, it has bought almost 1.3 million doses of the drug, which is 250,000 more than the second place purchaser. It also is the third highest for oxycodone. Both of these drugs are highly addictive.
A spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente says that there is a logical reason for the high number. Because there are fewer locations for this pharmacy than for many smaller local pharmacies, they have a higher number of total prescriptions filled at one location. According to the spokesperson, the total volume of prescriptions filled is about 10 times what would be seen at an average pharmacy.
Drug Diversion
One of the primary concerns for the DEA, which prompted the inspection is what is known as drug diversion. This term describes what happens when a drug is diverted to someone other than who it is supposed to be prescribed for. Generally, this happens for illicit use.
A red flag noted was that prescriptions were filled for high dosages of these opioid pain medications for multiple patients over an extended time period. The DEA wants to verify that these prescriptions are legitimate.
According to the Kaiser spokesperson, the company has reduced the number of opioid prescriptions being given by almost 40 percent. It limits opioid prescriptions and offers other alternatives to pain management. The pharmacy says it does its part to work with doctors on prescribing lower doses of these medicines.
The warrant for inspection is administrative and not criminal. It provides a way for the DEA to inspect records and make copies. They can look at inventory records, order forms, invoices, reports and the list of workers who have access to any controlled substances. It could also include the list of patients who have a signed contract for opioid use.
Opioid Abuse
Opioid use and abuse have been rising all over the country with many cities and regions facing an epidemic. While some of these opioids are illegal drugs, such as heroin, others are prescription opioids. Some of the most popular prescription drugs include morphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone. They all can lead to addiction if taken for too long or at too high doses.
Prescription medications can also lead to illicit drug use. It’s not uncommon for people to start with a prescription opioid and move on to an illicit opioid when they can’t get a prescription. Some people get the prescription to sell it on the street even if they aren’t taking it themselves. These drugs come at a much higher cost than heroin or other common street drugs.
Mixing drugs can be dangerous and even fatal, which is why opioid overdoses have become all too common. Agencies like the DEA want to make sure that pharmacies and doctors are doing their part to stop the epidemic and not encouraging it through irresponsible actions.